Castle Mellark
by Ambrosia30
Summary: Modern day Katniss is transported back to 14th century Scotland after she touches a cursed flask, where she meets Peeta Mellark, Laird of Castle Mellark. Even though he is dark and broody, Katniss is instantly drawn to him, and he to her. Based off the book The Highlander's Touch by Karen Moning
1. Chapter 1

***Chapter One***

Scotland 1322

Gale Hawthorne silently materialized out of thin air. He stood in the shadows of the great hall and watched Peeta Mellark pace back and forth in front of the fireplace. Incredibly tall and handsome and powerfully built. Gale shook his head, aggravated. Peeta was a God among men, he could be so powerful, almost without limit if he would just give in and accept his fate. But he refused.

"What grieves you Peeta?" Gale finally spoke. He would have thought Peeta hadn't heard him if not for the rigid tensing of his shoulders.

"Why do you insist on coming uninvited?" Peeta's voice thundered across the room. It was a tone that could make even Gale shudder.

"Well, that's simple really. If I waited for an invitation from you then I would never be here" he said as he moved closer. Peeta made a growling noise as his only response, continuing to stare at the flames of the fire.

"Well, I can see you're unusually talkative this evening" Gale said sarcastically "but I fear I can't stay long. What say you...do you have the hallows?" He asked.

Peeta didn't answer, he stayed staring into the fire and ran a very large hand across his square jaw that was covered in several days of stubble. Gale tapped his foot impatiently,

"Your silence is NOT reassuring Peeta. I need an answer. I know The Templar knights where to escort them out from you, but I've heard there was a disturbance" he said. Peeta finally turned to him, muscled arms folded across his broad chest, he stared down at Gale, and Gale was a tall man himself. It was no wonder Peeta Mellark was a legend, even without any powers.

"You heard right..." Peeta hedged.

"You do realize you swore an oath to protect them" Gale said, suddenly on edge.

"Of course I know that" Peeta said, turning back to the fire.

"You also realize the Importance of the Templars finding sanctuary here in Scotland now that they've been disbanded? And how imperative it is that the hallows don't fall into the wrong hands?"

Peeta dismissed his question with an impatient wave of his hand, "The four hallows are safe. The moment we became suspicious the Templars may come under siege, the spear, the cauldron, the sword and the stone were rushed back into Scotland for safe keeping, even with the war, It's better they rest in a torn country then with the persecuted Templars. The four hallows are safe..." Peeta said.

"But not the flask, Peeta? What of it? Where is it?" Gale asked.

"The flask is not a hallow" Peeta offered.

"I know that.." Gale said dryly "..but the flask is a sacred relic to our race. It poses a huge threat should it fall into the wrong hands. So I repeat, where is the flask?"

Peeta exhaled a sharp breath and pushed a large hand through his messy light hair. Gale was struck by the sheer masculinity of him, the power he exuded from every pore. The intense blue eyes, the fierce, aggressive, dominating temperament of his ancestors. Once again Gale lamented the fact that Peeta refused to embrace what he was.

"I doona know" Peeta finally offered.

"You 'doona know?" Gale mimicked his brogue. He knew that must have been a hard admission for Peeta. Nothing was ever out of the Laird Mellark's control. His whole life was governed by rule after rule.

"A flask containing a sacred elixir created by my race disappears out of your grasp and you 'doona know' where it went?!" Gale asked, becoming agitated.

"The situation is not as dire as you make, Gale. It's not permanently lost. Consider it..." Peeta waved a hand and flashed a smile, "...temporarily lost" he finally finished.

Gale arched a brow at him, "You're splitting hairs with your pretty words. That's a woman's job, Mellark. What's happened?"

"One of my good men was carrying the chest with the flask in it when the attack came, I was waiting for him to cross the bridge to hand it to me. He got hit in the head and both him and the flask fell into the river. The current carried away the chest-"

"And you think that's not a terrible concern?! What if the king of England gets his hands on that flask, do you realize what that would do?" Gale interrupted.

"Aye, but it won't come to that. I laid a geas on the flask. It won't come into another's possession" Peeta said. Gale looked to him, shocked.

"You cast a spell?"

"Think you I've learned nothing after all these years? I've picked up some things that were useful " Peeta said, obviously disgruntled by this whole conversation.

"A clever fairy would have just spelled it back out of the river-" Gale started,

"I am not Fae. I am Scot-Brude and I do not care for your Druid magic and spells. You're fortunate I used a spell at all" Peeta said bitterly.

"And what invocation did you use? Were you careful in your wording? If it was not done right it's even more dangerous"

"Aye, I did it well and proper. I spelled it so that the first human to touch the flask, it is to be immediately sent back to me. No matter the distance or time" Peeta said, mildly proud of himself for the curse as much as he hated to admit it.

"I see. And did you specify whether the flask would come by itself?" Gale asked amused.

"What?" Peeta asked bewildered.

"The flask. Did you specify that only it be returned? Did it not occur to you that the mortal who touches it might also be transported with the flask if you used a binding spell?" Gale asked, wholly amused now.

Peeta closed his eyes and made that growling sound again.

"You used a binding spell." Gale sighed.

"I used a binding spell" Peeta admitted. "It was the only one I knew!" He added defensively.

"And who's fault is that? How many times have I asked you, nay, begged you to come with me to my world, to learn my ways. You could have so much power if only you would embrace it. And the answer is yes, Peeta. The man WILL be brought back with the flask" Gale said.

Peeta muttered a few choice curse words under his breath.

"So, what will you do with this man when he arrives?" Gale asked.

"Question him, then return him with haste"

"You will kill him" Gale said somberly, but with authority.

"I knew you would say that. Gale, what if he's innocent? He may not have a fardling idea what's in the chest, but just finds it washed up on the bank of the river somewhere" Peeta protested.

"Then you'll kill the innocent man" Gale said simply.

"I will not"

"But you will..." Gale started as he moved closer to Peeta. He had an urge to shake the man, or even to strike him but he knew that wouldn't end well for either of them, so he controlled himself.

"...it is you who cursed it foolishly and without thought for the outcome. Your curse will bring them, innocent or no, into the midst of a Templar sanctuary that no one can trespass into. You think you can simply send them away with a weak warning of please-don't-tell-what-you've-seen? You think any stranger wouldn't be tempted by the price on the Templars heads? So you WILL kill him, whoever he is, because you pledged your life that you would do all in your power to protect the Templars and take no unnecessary risks" Gale said.

"I will not kill an innocent man" Peeta said through gritted teeth.

"You will or I will, you only have the two choices. So choose wisely because you know I like to play with my prey" Gale said. Peeta fisted both of his hands so hard he thought he might break open his palms with his fingernails.

"I will kill the bearer of the flask. But it will be done my way, painlessly and swiftly and you will stay out of it" Peeta said angrily as he turned toward Gale.

"Good enough. Now swear it"

"On one condition. In exchange for my vow you promise me that you will never darken my home with your presence uninvited" Peeta said.

" I am truly hurt and you will regret not having my company, but I will comply. Now, swear it".

It wasn't something Peeta wanted to do but he knew he would be saving this poor innocent a terrible death at the hands on Gale Hawthorne, the dark fairy. He would find a way to live with himself.

***present day***

"Watch it asshole!" Katniss Everdeen yelled at the driver of the black BMW SUV who nearly side swiped her at the corner of the crosswalk.

"Get a job, homeless trash!" The man yelled out the window before flashing his middle finger out the sunroof. Katniss scowled at him under the bill of her baseball hat. Homeless? She didn't look homeless...did she? She looked down at her clothes to do a quick assessment. She was wearing her favorite skinny jeans, while a cheap find on clearance at Target they were in good shape. Her white awolnation t-shirt was definitely worn but it didn't have holes and it was clean. Her red converse weren't in bad shape. The rattiest thing she had on was her hat, but she wasn't about to get rid of it. She pulled it down farther on her head in a self-conscious effort to hide her face.

"What a jerk! Don't pay any attention to him, you don't look homeless. That's the kind of person who just believes they're better then everybody else, especially the ones waiting for the bus instead of driving a BMW. He obviously didn't see your face or he would be pulled over right now apologizing and trying to get your number" Madge said.

Madge was pretty much Katniss' only friend. And Katniss wasn't even sure they were friends. More like acquaintances. They both took the same bus to work every evening. Madge to her acting gig in the local theater and Katniss to her cleaning job.

"Thanks, but I doubt that's the truth" Katniss said to her friend.

"Come on Katniss, you're a knockout. I wish you'd go out with me just one night, doll yourself up, live a little" Madge said, as she nudged her elbow playfully into Katniss side.

"You know I don't have time for anything like that. Not with both jobs and taking care of mom and Prim" Katniss said. Katniss hadn't had time for anything, let alone a social life or boyfriend, since she was 18. That's when her daddy got killed in a terrible car accident and her mom completely checked out on life, leaving her to pick up the pieces and raise Prim. While paying bills and running the house, which they promptly lost and had to move into a tiny apartment in a crummy part of town. On top of everything Last year Willow Everdeen was diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer, too far gone to even try any treatments. Katniss can't help but feel like she got cancer just because she stopped caring about life, she stopped living and so it consumed her without a fight. Mounting bills and paying for home health for Willow in her last few months and trying to save to send Prim to college forced Katniss to take on the barista job during the day and the cleaning job at night. Neither job was glamorous but they paid decent. And her cleaning job was in a museum, which she loved. It was her only escape from her reality. Yes, it was work but while she was there she would pretend to be something else, to be someone else. Her favorite section was the medieval history section. That's where she could really lose herself. She was Queen of a lovely castle, with lovely servants, and lovely children. And also, of course, a lovely husband. Life was perfect in her fantasy.

If only it were true.

Katniss unlocked the main door to the museum and punched in the code for the alarm. She took her shoes off at the door and laid her keys and phone down on a small table and padded her way across the marble tiles to the back of the building where the maintenance closet was. She gathered her supplies and set to work. As much as she loved to linger around and look, she knew she had to work pretty fast. She had to be out no later then 4am and this was a huge building for one person to clean.

As usual, she saved Professor Crane's office for last. As far as boss's went Seneca was a total pain in the ass but he paid her well. Actually, he overpaid her but she wasn't going to point that out. He was a complete stickler, he practically went over things with a white glove, especially in his office. She was only allowed to dust and sweep and touch "as little as possible". She was always excited to get to his office though because he almost always had a new antiquity that he was examining before it was put on display. She opened the door and stepped inside. Sure enough, there was his new find. A small chest, intricately carved scrolls and designs around the edges. It was beautiful. She wondered what the story behind this piece was? She had seen carvings similar to the ones on the chest before but she couldn't quite place it. She sat down in the oversized leather chair at his desk and regarded the chest for awhile. She would only sit for a minute, it was already after 2am and she had to finish his office and put everything away and be long gone by 4. She leaned back and closed her eyes and before she was aware what was happening her exhausted body caved in to sleep.

"...I have no idea how old it is. But very, would be my guess. I'd say 17th maybe even 16th century. But that's what you're for Plutarch"

Katniss' foggy mind slowly registered Seneca Crane's voice. With a start, she shot forward, suddenly aware of where she was. She glanced at the clock on the wall...4:47am.

"Shit! Oh shit!" Katniss panicked. If she got caught she would be fired on the spot. She couldn't let that happen. She was thinking of climbing out the window when she heard keys in the door, no time for the window. Her only hope was under the desk, so she scurried to the back and balled herself up as small as possible.

"Damn it! How many times have I told that woman to turn the damn lights off!" Seneca said as he entered his office. Katniss bit her lip and forced her breathing to slow down. Seneca and another mans legs came into view at the front of his desk. She prayed she was hidden good enough.

"Oh my..." the other man said.

"Isn't it beautiful? Have you ever seen anything like it?" Seneca asked the man.

"It's gorgeous. Look at how intricate that scrollwork is. Definitely of Scottish origin" the man said. Scotland, yes of course. That's where Katniss had seen carvings like that before.

"Have you tried to open it yet?" The man asked.

"No, I was waiting for you. The less it's handled the better. Here, put the gloves on and let's see" Seneca said. There was silence in the room and Katniss feared that they might be able to hear her heart beating. The men said nothing for a time, but she heard a slight scraping noise as one of the men picked up the chest.

"Heavier then it looks. I see no latches but it has hinges. How on earth do you open it though?" The man pondered.

"What about that right there, the small raised spot in the scrolling, try that" Seneca offered. There was a small hissing noise and both men gasped. Katniss was holding her breath. What the hell is it? She wondered.

"Here, use the tongs. We can't be too careful" Seneca said. There was silence again for a long time, Katniss was about to explode from under the desk just so she could get a look herself.

"It's amazing. I've never seen anything like it. It almost looks futuristic, doesn't it? I'm not sure what type of metal this is" the man said.

"Well, get to work on it Plutarch, I want answers as soon as possible" Seneca said.

"Where did you say you found this?" The man asked.

"It was unearthed in the highlands of Scotland. A farmer was dredging rock out of a riverbed to mend a fence and came across it. Thank god I have friends in the area who owed me a favor or I'd never have gotten it" Seneca said. Katniss rolled her eyes, she could practically see the giddy look on his face, she was surprised he wasn't clapping his hands with glee.

"If it's been under water for...well...possibly hundreds of years, how on earth is it in such immaculate shape? And the seal on it...? How did they manage to get such a waterproof seal so long ago?" The Plutarch man wondered.

"That's neither here nor there. I have it and I'm very lucky. Now, get to work on identifying it and dating it. Clear everything else. This is your priority now" Seneca said.

"I may need help with this one" Plutarch said.

"Of course, I'll assign someone trustworthy to help you. For now, lets go get some coffee to celebrate!" Seneca said and Katniss heard the door to his office close behind them and their muffled voices as they walked down the hall. Katniss released a breath she didn't know she was holding. That was close. She stayed put for a few minutes, making sure they didn't forget something and come back. But then her curiosity wouldn't wait any longer and she climbed out from under the desk.

Thank goodness they left the chest on his desk. Katniss knew she should leave it alone, she'd already dodged one bullet today, toying with whatever this was would not be a good idea. "It almost looks futuristic" the mans words rang in her head.

She had to see it.

She looked for the raised spot in the scrollwork that Seneca had mentioned and found it with ease once she knew what she was looking for. She pushed it and the chest cracked open with the same hissing sound as before. There in the chest, nestled in a red and black fabric, was a brightly polished, almost shining silvery bottle with a stopper in the top. The bottle was also intricately carved with swirling designs and loops but not quite like the ones on the wood.

"Ok, you've seen it, now leave" Katniss whispered out loud. 'Touch it' part of her brain said. She raised her hand, reaching slowly for the small flask, as soon as she made contact it felt as if she'd been shocked with static electricity but worse. Then suddenly she had the sensation she was falling...


	2. Chapter 2

The falling sensation eventually stopped but Katniss' head was spinning so much she couldn't open her eyes yet.

"What the hell" she said on a ragged exhale.

"Doona move!" a voice thundered. Katniss eyes shot open at the sound and she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Who are you?" The man demanded. She didn't know, she didn't know anything. Her mind was a blank while she looked at the man. Obviously this wasn't real, this was a dream. This man was a dream...the kind of dream she hoped she would be repeating. Lord, he was huge! He towered over her, he had to be a foot and half taller then her. And she'd never seen shoulders so wide, arms so muscled. And not the gross kind of muscles, she mused, the kind where the guy spends hours in the gym to get super big, defined muscles. No, she thought, this guy was just naturally big, brawny. His face was perfection. Straight nose, strong chiseled jaw that was covered in a fine layer of stubble and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. And even from here she could see how impossibly long his eyelashes were. His hair was a dark blondish color and it hung messily just past his ears.

And his body...wow. He wasn't wearing a shirt and, oddly enough, he was wearing a kilt. One that was hanging dangerously low on his hips, the buckle of the belt undone.

"Are you lame? Can you not speak?" The man asked. Was that a Scottish accent? Really, this dream couldn't get any better she thought.

It suddenly got worse. In the blink of an eye the man had drawn a sword and held it to her throat.

"Speak!" The man thundered.

"Katniss. My name is Katniss" she finally managed to croak out. She didn't miss the way the mans eyes traveled slowly down her body and then back up again. He made a low growl in the back of his throat and when their eyes met again Katniss was certain they had darkened with desire. Well, if he was going to look at her, she was going to look at him. After all, it's just a dream, what's the harm?

She took her time roving down his body, his impressive, strong shoulders, his broad masculine chest, his trim waist, and the fine line of hair that traveled from his naval and into his kilt. Katniss licked her lips, unable to control her thoughts about what was under that kilt. If she looked hard enough she could just see the outline of his large...

"Stop looking there woman!" The man snapped, bringing her attention back to his face.

"Well, you were looking at me,I saw you! Fairs,fair" she said. She was bold in this dream.

"Aye well...what's a lass doing dressed like that? It's hard for a man to look away" he admitted. Katniss took a minute to look around. She was in a bedroom, a chamber. Stone walls and floors, a large stone fireplace dominating one wall. A large wooden canopy bed on the opposite wall. What the actual hell? She'd conjured up a castle in her dream.

"You're English? Different then what I've heard before though. What part are you from?" He asked.

"Ummm...do you think maybe you could put the sword down? Obviously I can't hurt you" she said. He thought about it for a moment and then lowered the sword, but kept it firmly in hand.

"Who are you ?" Katniss asked.

"Peeta Mellark. Laird of Castle Mellark-" he started when the heavy wooden door to the room flew open and a man came running in. Peeta turned slightly so he could see the man, but keep Katniss in his vision as well,

"Now is not the time, Haymitch. Everything is under control" Peeta said.

"Heard an awful ruckus from down below" the Haymitch man said.

"Aye, I'll be down to explain shortly" Peeta said. It was enough of a dismissal for Haymitch and he backed out of the doorway slowly, closing the door behind him, but not before winking at Katniss.

Odd. What an odd dream, Katniss thought. She'd always heard that you dream of people and places that you've seen, but none of this was familiar. And she was sure if she had seen this Peeta Mellark person she wouldn't have forgotten about him. Katniss stared at him again, absorbing the massive length and breadth of his body. The man dripped such sexuality that fantasies of a savage warrior, with no laws but his own shivered through her. The danger rolling off him was dangerous and seductive. Where the hell did that come from? Katniss Everdeen did not fantasize. She didn't have the time.

"Doona think to distract me with your eyes wandering like that" he said. She let her eyes drop to the front of his kilt, where there was now a slight bulge showing through the fabric. She bit her lip to keep herself from doing something stupid, like moan.

Peeta growled and tilted his head back to look at the ceiling for a minute before he spoke, "Doona do that lass" he said, his voice sounding rougher then it had been earlier.

"Do what?" She asked.

"Bite your lip like that. A man only has so much restraint" he said.

"Oh." Was all she could say. The fact he was using restraint both terrified and electrified her. What would happen if his restraint was broken? Katniss wasn't sure she would fight. Not sure at all.

"What is this strange bonnet..." he began. He moved so fast she didn't even see it, he swiped her hat right off her head, she lunged for it but he extended the blade of the sword again and it drew her up short.

"Give me that back! Right now!" She yelled at him. He simply looked at her coolly, but made no move to hand it back.

"That was my daddy's, it's all I have from him and he's dead now. Give it back to me!" She demanded. A flicker of compassion crossed his beautiful face before he flicked his wrist and sent the hat flying a couple of feet behind her. She quickly went to it and bent to retrieve it, when she straightened back up and turned to face him, his eyes were glued to her ass. A bolt of heat shot through her and wedged itself right between her thighs.

What was happening to her? That was it, it was time to wake up. She closed her eyes tight and willed herself to wake up. It didn't work.

"Give me the flask, lass" Peeta said. He was towering over her now, only mere inches away. She could feel the heat radiating off his hard body. She normally had such good senses, yet he snuck up on her.

"The flask? You can see this?" She said, opening her hand with the flask in it.

"Aye, I can. Blinding as your beauty is I can see it, I'm no fool" he said. Katniss snorted a laugh. Blinding beauty? Yeah right. Although it made her heart soar just hearing him say it. She handed it over to him.

"Who are you?" He asked again.

"I already told you. My name is Katniss Everdeen" she replied.

"I mean, who are you really? Are you a spy for the English?" He demanded.

She laughed, "No, I'm no spy. I'm nobody, just Katniss. Look...how about you put the sword down and maybe put a shirt on and we can figure all of this out?" She offered. Maybe once he was properly covered he wouldn't be as tempting and then maybe she could will herself awake.

He said nothing, but looked at her again, looked her up and down again so intensely that it made her squirm.

"Och! Damn it all to hell!" He said, and he swiftly turned and walked out the door. Katniss heard the key in the lock and knew she wasn't going anywhere until he decided she was. After she released a shaky breath she sat down on the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands. If this was a dream it was the most vivid one she could ever remember having. She bunched her knees up and hugged her arms around them, suddenly feeling very distressed. Somewhere in her mind, as much as she tried to deny it, she knew this wasn't a dream. Somehow this was real.

What the hell had she gotten herself into?

"Shall we remove the body, Peeta?" Haymitch asked.

"The body?" Peeta said, confused. Things were not working out at all. He stormed away from the strange woman and headed to the kitchens to find some cider wine and think about this predicament in solitude, only to find Haymitch and Boggs waiting for him.

"The bearer of the flask" Haymitch said. Peeta scowled. He'd hidden the flask in his sporran, hoping he could find the time, and the courage to fulfill his oath without being confronted about it. He had told his two most loyal men about the oath he made with Gale Hawthorne years ago, hoping that if there was a reason why he was unable to fulfill the oath that one of these trusted men would do the job.

But what did one do when oaths were in direct opposition to one another? He had sworn to Gale that he would kill the bearer of the flask, but years ago at his mothers knee he swore to her that he would never harm a woman for any reason.

"I told Boggs she had arrived, I saw the flask in her hand. So shall we remove the body?" Haymitch asked again.

"That might be a bit awkward. 'The body' is still breathing" Peeta said irritably.

"Why?" Boggs questioned.

"Because I have not yet killed her!" Peeta boomed. Wasn't that obvious?

"She IS quite lovely, is she not Peeta?" Haymitch asked.

"Have I ever allowed loveliness to corrupt my honor?" He asked.

"Nay, and I don't suspect you will now. You've never broken an oath" Haymitch replied.

Haymitch and Boggs had been Peeta's trusted council for years. They had trained vigorously together, fought together, planned together. He could trust them wholly.

"I'm not sure I see any harm this woman could pose to our cause.." Peeta began, trying to gauge their reaction. He was gauging his own reaction as well. Usually his rules comforted him. He lived so rigidly, he had nothing if not for his rules and his honor. Yet every ounce of his conscience was rebelling at the thought of killing the strange woman.

"I scarce think that matters, Peeta. You swore an oath. I can see why a woman might evoke sympathy from you, but we know nothing of her. She might be an English spy. Or even worse some kind of witch. I saw the way she was dressed, it was very strange" Haymitch said.

"I sensed no magic in her. I also sensed no danger" Peeta pointed out.

"Then let her be, at least for now" Boggs spoke up. Both the other men turned to him.

"Aye, you heard me, let her be. Keep her alive to find out for sure she is not a spy or hiding something. It's serves a purpose, that way. If she turns out rotten then dispense of her. If not, so be it. You didn't specify WHEN you would kill the bearer of the flask. Could be today, could be in 50 years. You wouldn't be breaking your oath" Boggs said. Peeta found himself nodding along,

"Aye, this makes perfect sense. It is the best of both, I find out information if there is any to be had, and I'll still fulfill the oath...eventually" he said. Boggs and Haymitch looked at each other. This was not like Laird Peeta Mellark at all.

"I feel I should point out by keeping her alive there may be repercussions" Haymitch offered.

"Aye, I can handle it. At least I'll be able to sleep at night knowing I haven't killed an innocent woman" Peeta concluded.

"Unless she turns out guilty?" Haymitch asked.

"Of course. If she is not innocent I shall fulfill my oath to the letter" Peeta said somberly. Even as he said the words, he very much doubted their truth...


	3. Chapter 3

***better late then never but I guess I should say I own none of the characters from either of these books, I'm just borrowing some things for my own reading and writing pleasure. Hope you enjoy!***

Katniss willed herself not to cry. The back of her throat burned and hurt from the unshed tears but she would not cry. There had to be a reasonable explanation for this. She was now certain it wasn't a dream, she had tried everything she knew to wake herself up to no avail. The cherry on top was when she pulled aside one of the tapestries on the wall and found a window. She had gazed out it, astonished. She looked out onto a misty night from an ancient time. The night sky was alight with the biggest, most gorgeous moon, and the stars! They seemed so close she thought she might be able to reach out and touch them, and there were so many of them, more constellations then she had ever been able to see. "That's what happens when there isn't pollution and city lights to block them" she had said out loud. And even though it was dark, she could make out the rolling hills of the countryside. It all made sense, sort of. His manner of dress, the odd perusal of her that he did, obviously taken aback by seeing a woman dressed in pants.

Definitely not a dream. She was in Scotland. What year was she in? She let the heavy tapestry fall back across the window and when it did she looked at it again, more carefully. Near the bottom right corner, in red thread, were numbers that made her head spin...1322.

"Oh my god!" She said. Feeling her panic crest inside her again.

Katniss heard a faint scuffling outside her door and then heard muffled voices, she padded across the stone floor and pressed her ear to the large door, just barely able to make out the words,

"...aye, he'll do it when the time comes" she heard, pretty sure it was the Haymitch man from earlier.

"You really ken he could kill her?" Another man asked. Katniss stifled a gasp with her hand.

"Aye" was the only thing she heard before they walked too far past the door.

So, he was going to kill her? Well, he wasn't going to do it without a damn good fight! She thought as she looked around and weighed out her options. Peeta Mellark was about to get the side of Katniss Everdeen that no one had ever wanted...her temper.

Peeta had finished the bottle of cider wine in silence after he sent away his men. He didn't know what he hoped to accomplish by all the drinking. It wasn't going to clear his head and make his decisions any easier. And it certainly wasn't helping to dissipate any of his pent up desire. He'd been high strung since the second he laid eyes on the strange lass. Aye, the wine was a bad idea, it just seemed to be heating his blood. He stood and looked down at the tenting of his kilt. He couldn't go talk to her like this, he wouldn't be able to trust himself to keep from ravaging her. He'd go for a stroll in the chilly air and clear his thoughts of her, that would do it.

Pushing the woman from his mind had been a futile attempt. He couldn't think of anything else. When he had taken the strange bonnet off her head, he was struck by the beauty of her raven hair, and her strange silver eyes. She was small, he imagined he could heft her about with complete ease, and that greatly appealed to his dominating, male side. When she bent to retrieve her bonnet from the floor and his eyes caught her shapely backside it took all the restraint he possessed not to walk up behind her, snake an arm around her waist, pull her against him and let that demanding nature of his take free reign. "And then kill her once your desire had been sated?" His conscience screamed at him.

"Och!" He bellowed out. What was happening to him? His mother would bend him over her knee if she were still alive, no matter his size. She taught him better respect then that. This woman had turned not only his world, but also himself upside down. The eternal struggle he was battling was exhausting. It took a long time for his body to comply and he was able to reel in his desire, or at least get it somewhat leashed, before he headed back indoors.

He bounded up the stars 2 at a time and unlocked his chamber door, it was dark inside save for the fire in the fireplace that was casting a low golden glow across the room. All the lamps had been extinguished. Perhaps she was asleep. A jolt of desire shot through his traitorous body again, the thought of her sleeping in his bed appealed to him. He hoped she was asleep, he wanted time to gaze at her.

He slowly opened the door and began to step inside, that's when his feet got tangled and he fell to the floor, landing on broken ceramic. Peeta cursed as one of the shards wedged itself in his palm, that's when Katniss slammed him across the back on the head with what was left of the ceramic wash pot, sending him rolling onto his back, Peeta swore he saw stars from the hit as the shards dug into his back, he registered her trying to run past him for the door and he grabbed her ankle and yanked her back, causing her to lose her balance. He broke her fall with his own body, protecting her from any of the shards.

He wrapped his strong arms around her, but she thrashed wildly. He rolled them so they were away from the pieces before he laid her on the floor, straddling her hips. She was a feisty one, she got a solid punch in to his jaw before he grasped her wrists and held them to his chest. She was stronger then she looked, he was musing. She set a trap. Oddly, he felt proud.

Katniss was beginning to panic, her trap hadn't worked, her punch hadn't worked, she was quickly running out of options, especially with her wrists in his vice like grip. That's when she focused all of her energy into her leg and she brought it up and effectively kneed him in the balls. It didn't have the effect she was hoping for, it only momentarily stunned him, and not enough for him to loosen his grip. Judging by the look on his face it only accomplished making him angry.

"So that's the way you want it?" He asked. "So be it lass" he said.

He moved quickly, going from straddling her to kneeing her legs apart and wedging himself between them. He rested his full weight on her now. Stupidly Katniss found herself guessing how much he weighed. It had to be 300 pounds of pure muscle. He was cutting her air off with the weight of his body. He shifted and Katniss felt his hardened shaft dig into her, it was so hard it was actually painful when it dug into her pubic bone.

"Submit, lass. Stop fighting me, I am stronger then you. Doona be foolish" he said. Sheer panic hit her then, she had one last thing to attempt.

He was fully surprised when her forehead bashed him in the mouth. It had actually quite hurt. He shook her forcefully and was astonished when she didn't give up, but rather tried to head butt him again. He knew she would fight him until she passed out from lack of air, so he did the only thing he could think of. He kissed her.

It would be impossible for her to head butt him with their lips pressed together. He had learned from years of battle that the best strategy to win a fight was to invade the enemies space. It took nerves of steel to handle six feet seven inches of ruthless Mellark a breath away from ones heart. While he was congratulating himself for his inventive strategy, he also recognized it as self-deceit. He had wanted to kiss her since the moment she showed up in his chambers. He knew intimacy with this woman may skew his perceptions and decisions of her, but their skirmish had brought him into contact with every inch of her voluptuous body. Her soft curves pressed against his hard body coupled with her fierce, intelligent ambush had aroused him far more then just her beauty had. His hips bucked of their own accord, he couldn't help it.

He sought to subdue her with the kiss, to make her aware of his dominance over her. But the crush of her breast into his chest heated him and he found himself pushing his tongue into her mouth. Suddenly bent on seducing her rather then conquering. He felt the moment his kiss stopped being a way of controlling her and turned into nothing more then a savage desire to indulge his appetite for the woman. All he need do was push aside his plaid, peel her strange trousers off and push himself inside her. The temptation was exquisite. His breathing became rapid and harsh even to his own ears. It had been too long since he had been with a woman and his body was tightly strung. He had to get ahold of himself before he did something terrible. Reluctantly, he angled his hips away from her and began to end the kiss. Loath as he was to lose the lush fullness of her lower lip, he sucked it between the two of his, releasing it finally with a pop.

He stared down at her. Her silver eyes had darkened with desire, he was sure of it. Her mouth was slightly parted and her breathing was rapid. He was about to close in on her mouth again when she snapped, her eyes fiery and cold.

"Get off me! Get off me you barbarian! I won't let you rape me!" She hissed, while she tried to thrash around, with little effect. She couldn't move from under the weight of him. She saw shock register across his face and then it was replaced with an amused smile.

"Get off me you bastard!" She said with what air she had left.

"I doona intend to be raping you lass. Though if those were my intentions, there'd be nothing you could do" he said.

"Then why...why are you..." she trained off, unsure or unwilling to finish. Why are you hard as a rock against me? Why are you kissing me? She wanted to ask. She didn't have to, he knew her thoughts,

"I have a beautiful lass thrashing around beneath me. It matters little whether you're trying to claw my eyes out or thrashing out of pleasure. I'm just a man" he said. Yes, he was definitely a man, as if that had escaped her attention earlier she was certainly aware of it now, with every bit of him pressed against her.

"As for kissing you..." he trailed off for a moment and seemed to be searching for words, "...I couldn't help myself" he finally said. They were silent for a minute, neither one looking into the others eyes. Finally he spoke again,

"If you'd behave lass, I could let you up and we could be out of this...position" he said. She was starting to get lightheaded. She hadn't been able to draw a full breath since he laid on top of her, and his kiss had rendered the last of her air, she was starting to get dizzy.

"Ok. Ok, I'll behave" she finally consented.

He loosened his grip on her slowly, anticipating another attack from her. Truth was she was wiped out. She had exerted what was left of her energy in that pathetic escape attempt and him smashing the air from her left her weak, as did his kiss. He released her hands and then sat back on his haunches. She pulled her legs out from under him and sat up. He stared at her intently but didn't touch her. It would have been helpful to use his shoulder to pull herself up but she wouldn't dare come across so weak, so she managed. She stood in front of him and even on his knees his face was nearly chest high to her. It made her uncomfortable.

He finally stood, pulling himself to his full height in front of her. He seemed even bigger now, maybe it was just the shadows from the fire playing tricks on her. Or maybe it's because he was only a hands breadth away. She was sure if she took a deep enough breath her nipples would graze his chest. It was a struggle for her to not test that theory. He stared down at her for a long time, neither of them speaking.

"Sit, lass" he ordered. She obeyed and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. He sat down beside her, it was a considerable distance but she could still feel the heat off him, and he sat with his legs splayed wide in that typical "man" way of sitting, so that his knee brushed her thigh. She didn't mind.

"You set a trap." He said. It wasn't a question, just a statement. She felt like she needed to answer it anyway,

"Yes" she said simply.

"Why?" He asked, looking at her.

"Why?" She asked, mildly irritated that he thought her so dumb. "Why? Because you're going to kill me! I heard men talking outside the door, I know what you plan to do to me! I'll have you know I will NOT go down without a fight, so I hope you're prepared for that!" She said angrily. He blew out a long breath before talking,

"Lass, I don't even know you and I have the presence of mind to not expect anything less then a fight from you" he said. She thought she almost detected a bit of admiration in his words.

"I well and truly don't know what to think of you. I don't know if I should praise you for your courage and wit, or berate you for being so daft. Did you really think you were going to best me?" He asked.

"No, but I didn't have any other options. So why don't you just get it over with, just kill me and be done with it" she said, jutting her chin up defiantly. She wouldn't let him see her scared or weak. Peeta made a growling sound and ran his hands through his hair, he seemed to be struggling. Katniss could use this...

"We have some talking to do, lass. Will you be honest with me?" He asked.

"I suppose" she said...

 ** _****OK, FIRST I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR READING. THE BOOK THAT THIS IS BASED OFF OF REALLY APPEALED TO ME AND I COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK ABOUT A KATNISS/PEETA RETELLING. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ "THE HIGHLANDERS TOUCH" I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO SO. ALTHOUGH DONT DO IT IF YOU DONT WANT THIS STORY RUINED BECAUSE I AM FOLLOWING THE BOOK ALMOST TO A T, JUST CHANGING A FEW NON-CONSEQUENTIAL THINGS ALONG THE WAY. IF YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK, ID LOVE IT IF YOU COULD PM ME AND LET ME KNOW ANY IDEAS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE FOR THE ENDING. I REALLY HATED THE ENDING OF THE BOOK, THE LAST COUPLE OF CHAPTERS REALLY, SO I WANT TO CHANGE THAT UP SOME. THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE FOLLOWS. PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS!****_**


	4. Chapter 4

Peeta abruptly lunged from the bed and took a few paces away from her, keeping his back to her. This served two purposes. One, it showed her he was not afraid of her in the least, even with his back to her she was not a threat. Two, it gave him the time and distance he needed to will his body into submission.

He busied himself lighting a few of the lamps along the walls before he finally turned to face her. By then his breathing had evened out and his plaid had been carefully bunched in the front to conceal the effect that their scuffle had had on him. Though he was certain it was too late for such measures.

She had buried her face in her hands, her raven hair cascading down around her shoulders. He reminded himself not to look at her legs in those strange trousers. He could follow the lines of her legs all the way from her ankle to her luscious thighs and the V of her woman parts.

Those trousers could get a man in trouble.

"Who are you?" He asked quietly. He would continue in a gentle voice until she showed any signs of resistance, then he might yell at her. With a small bit of amusement he deduced that this lass would probably just yell right back.

"My name is Katniss Everdeen" she murmured into her palms. Good, a swift and obedient answer.

"Katniss, I am Peeta Mellark. I'm-"

"We've already been over all of this, I know your name" she cut him off. This woman needed a good lesson in patience, he lamented. Her impatience was testing his own lack of it.

"Aye, so we have..." he started. He could keep his calm. "...where did you find my flask?" He would just get right to it then.

"In the museum where I work" she answered.

"What's a museum?"

"A place that displays treasures and artifacts for people to see" she said.

"My flask was on display for people?" He asked, had the curse not worked after all?

"No, not exactly. It wasn't on display yet. It was in a room, being examined before it was put on display" she clarified.

"Ah, so the chest had not been opened? You were the first to touch it then?" he said.

"No, two other men had touched it before me" she said.

"You saw them touch it, truly touch the flask?"

She was silent a moment while she thought back, "Oh my god, the tongs!" She exclaimed, finally looking up at him.

"No, they didn't touch it, they must have been using the tongs. I remember them saying it now" she said.

"This is very important lass, you must answer me truthfully. Do you know what the flask contains?" He asked, coming to stand directly in front of her.

"No. What?" She asked, looking him directly in the eye. He didn't sense any lies in her. She was either a consummate actress or telling the truth. He had to know which. He rubbed his jaw while scrutinizing her,

"Where are you from?" He asked next.

"Atlanta, Georgia" she said. She could tell it obviously didn't register with him.

"Where is that?" He asked.

"The United States"

"But you speak English" he said.

"Yes, my people fled from England. Once we were English but now we call ourselves Americans" she said. Peeta regarded her blankly,

"Of course, how could you possibly understand? I'm sorry. The United States is far across the sea from Scotland. We didn't like England either, so I can empathize. You've probably never heard about my land because it's very, very far away but it's imperative I get back as soon as possible" she said.

Peeta shook his head, and he saw her jaw clench. He admired her fighting spirit.

"I am afraid I cannot send you back just now" he finally said.

"But you CAN send me back at some point? You know how?" Katniss was holding her breath waiting for his answer.

"I am sure something can be managed" he said noncommittally. If she was from as far away as she said she was and if it was determined she was no threat it would make it easier to send her back to her home on the next available ship. Less chances of her telling any secrets to someone here.

"How did your museum obtain my chest?" He asked. It was a mystery to him how it could have gotten so far and not been touched.

"They send people all over looking for unusual-"

"Who are 'they'?" He asked quickly. Perhaps she was innocent, but perhaps the men she mentioned were not.

"My employers..." she said. She flicked her gaze away from his. He narrowed his eyes and studied her carefully.

Why had she not kept eye contact? She had seemed to be making an effort to tell him the whole truth. Although he sensed no sign of outright deception in her he could sense she was hiding things from him.

"So, how can you send me through time? Is it magic?" She finally asked expectantly.

Peeta let out a low whistle. By the gods...how far had this lass come?

Katniss sat on the bed anxiously awaiting his reply. She found it hard to look at him. Partly because he scared her and partly because he was so damned beautiful, especially in this candlelight. How was she supposed to think of him as the enemy, when her body, without so much as consulting her mind, had decided to like him? She'd never felt such instant, intense attraction. Lying underneath his powerful body she'd been flooded with a frantic sexual desire that she quickly attributed to a fear of dying. She had read about that sort of thing happening before.

She forced herself to sit still, and not look directly at him for fear of giving away not only her fear but also her unacceptable fascination with him. It didn't escape her attention -the man had very intimidating body language- that he was in complete control here. And unless she could manage to catch him unaware, she wasn't going to be able to escape. She blew what might have been her only attempt with her ambush earlier. This man didn't miss a thing, he was a natural-born predator and warrior, watching and analyzing every little thing she did. Nope, she probably wouldn't get very far if she tried to escape, especially now that he was cautious of her for her last attempt.

"I see I must approach this from another angle, lass. WHEN are you from?" He asked.

She forced herself to look at him. He had lowered himself to the floor, his back against the door and his powerful legs stretched out in front of him. There was a trickle of blood on his forehead and his lower lip was swollen. When he swiped at the blood absentmindedly, it caused muscles in his forearm to flex and contract. Katniss noticed the veins in his arms, damn they were sexy. He was wearing a tartan, a real tartan plaid that was red and black, a real clans colors, she thought. Said plaid was currently revealing much more of him then it was successfully hiding. It made her uncomfortable.

"You're bleeding" she said. He looked up at her,

"Im bleeding she says! Imagine that. I was attacked by a banshee in the dark, tripped, rolled over broken pots, bashed in the head, punched, head butted, kicked in the-"

"I'm sorry" she cut in.

"You should be" he said simply.

"You were trying to kill me! You started it!" She said defensively.

"Aye. And now I'm ending it. I'm not going to kill you, for the moment. But I require information from you. I have 50 men in this keep who will need reason to trust you and let you live. Although I am Laird here, I cannot keep you safe at all times unless I am with you. I need to give my men plausible reasons why you are not a threat" he said.

"Why do any of you want to kill me in the first place?" She asked. "What have I done to any of you?"

He folded his arms across his chest before he spoke, "I am in charge of this inquiry" he said. She suspected he was trying to intimidate her, remind her of his size over her and that he was in control here. It worked.

"Right. But it might help if I knew what kind of a threat you thought I was to you and your men?" She said.

"Because of what's in the flask" he said.

"What's in it?" She asked.

"If you truly doona know, you are safer for your innocence. I will not tell you. Doona ask me again" he said. He blew out a breath before continuing. "When are you from?" He asked again.

"The 21st century" she admitted.

"You expect me to believe that you are from a time that's 700 years from now?" He asked.

"You expect me to believe I'm currently in a time that's 700 years in the past?" She asked. He smiled at her. Truly smiled and it nearly sucked the breath right out of her lungs. He was gorgeous. And dangerous. But very gorgeous. The smile was short lived,

"This conversation isn't about you and what you believe. It's about me and what I think to be true and whether I think there is reason to be trusting you. Your being from the future and you wanting to go home are irrelevant to me. The fact is you are here now and you have become my problem. And I doona like problems" he said.

"So send me back home then. That should solve your problem" she said. She met his gaze and his intense blue eyes seared into her, she couldn't force herself to look away.

"If you are truly from the future, who is Scotland's king?" He asked.

"Umm...I don't know, I don't follow politics. I'm just a woman" she said. She wasn't about to tell a warrior who was currently fighting for kings and territories that 700 years from now Scotland still didn't have a recognized king. She wasn't stupid.

His eyes narrowed as he studied her and she got the uncanny sensation he was reading her soul. Finally, he looked away, seeming to approve of whatever he saw. It was probably very believable for him to think a woman knew nothing of political affairs. As if she read his mind, he spoke.

"I accept that. Few women follow politics. But perhaps you know of your history?" He asked. She knew where this was headed. He was going to want to know about what clans won which battles and she was going to end up getting history all tangled up.

"Do you know YOUR history from 700 years ago?" She evaded.

"Much of it" he said arrogantly.

"Well, I'm sorry but I don't. I'm just a woman" she said as she shrugged, hoping to sound and seem innocent. He looked at her and gave her a half smile before speaking,

"Lass, I wouldn't be so foolish as to believe you are JUST a woman. At least not the kind I'm akin to knowing" he said. He didn't miss much, that was for sure.

"Did your museum say where they found my chest?" He asked. She thought back, trying to remember.

"Buried in some rocks near a riverbank in the highlands of Scotland" she told him.

"Ah, it is beginning to make sense. I had not considered that if the chest went undetected for centuries that the person would be brought back from the future" he said. She noticed him clenching his fists. "I have little patience for this cursing business " he said.

"It would also seem you're not very good at it" the words came out before she could stop them.

"It worked, did it not?" He said stiffly. Shut up, just shut up. She told herself. But her tongue couldn't listen,

"Yes, but look at the trouble it's caused. Sometimes the end doesn't justify the means" she said. He smiled at her again,

"My mother was inclined to say that" he said. Mother. God, she had to get back. Who was helping her mom? Who was holding her hand until she fell asleep at night? Who was double checking and making sure the nurses got her medication and the dosages right? Who was making money to pay the bills, to pay for the nurses? Prim of course would try to step in. But then where would that leave her? Not studying, not applying herself and not getting into collage like she so deserved. She would not let that happen.

"Curse me back" she pleaded to him suddenly. He looked at her intently, she thought she saw compassion in his eyes.

" I cannot send you back lass. I doona know how" he finally said...

 ** _***Thanks for all the feedback and follows for this story so far, I really appreciate them all! So, now Katniss is stuck, what will she do? There's about to be a couple of monkey wrenches thrown into their lives and we're going to see their love/hate relationship grow. I'd love to say this is all my creative writing, but of course it isn't. I'm actually following "The Highlander's Touch" EXTREMELY closely, so you can thank that author. I am planning to shake things up towards the end though. Anyways, feedback is amazing and its makes my day so please review if you can! Thanks! Until next time...***_**


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